PhD fellowship in ice and climate

PhD Project in Greenland ice sheet climate and precipitation variability

Niels Bohr Institute
Faculty of SCIENCE

University of Copenhagen

The Ice and Climate group at the Niels Bohr Institute invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Greenland ice sheet climate and precipitation, starting 1 May, 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

The Greenland ice sheet is currently the largest contributor to present-day global sea level rise, with mass loss mainly driven by surface melting. The surface mass balance, defined as the sum of precipitation and run-off, is crucial for understanding the ice-sheet evolution and the contribution to sea level rise.

The focus of the PhD project is to resolve short-term, sub-annual variability and distribution of precipitation over the Greenland ice sheet. The PhD project will combine paleo-climatic data from ice cores with instrumental data from weather stations, remote sensing data, and regional climate model output to improve the knowledge of spatial and temporal variations in climate and precipitation over the Greenland ice sheet over the last 100-200 years. Of special interest are the interior areas of the Greenland ice sheet, where we plan fieldwork to collect and analyse additional data.

The PhD project is part of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Centre “PRECISE – PREdicting Changes in Ice Sheets on Earth” with the overall aim of reducing uncertainties in the projected contributions from ice sheets to the global mean sea-level rise. PRECISE includes ice flow and climate modelling studies, ice core studies, theoretical ice physics studies, as well as integration of data and numerical models, to enable better simulations of ice sheet melt and mass loss under global warming.

You will work in an international team that also includes researchers and early career scientists from the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK. Visits with these collaborators are expected.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a highly motivated and self-directed candidate with an interest in the following themes: ice and climate modelling, coupled atmosphere-ice processes, and ice sheet mass loss. Candidates with strong mathematical and computation skills and an interest to work with both experimental and numerical methods are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have a Master’s degree in physics, geophysics, meteorology, or similar, and excellent English skills, both written and orally. Previous experience with machine learning techniques, fieldwork, climate modelling, or accumulation data is desired, but not required. You are also expected to have a curious mindset and good interpersonal skills.

Our group, research, and what we can offer

The position will be hosted in the Ice and Climate group, which is part of the section for Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth at the Niels Bohr Institute, located in Copenhagen. The Ice and Climate group is a world-leading research group in ice-core related climate research. The main activities of the group are ice core drilling, analysis of ice cores, and ice flow modelling, with the overall aim to understand climate change and the evolution of ice sheets. The group has a large network of national and international collaborators that you will be part of with great opportunities for scientific interactions with international researchers at different career stages. There will be possibilities to join the fieldwork on the Greenland ice sheet. For more information on the activities in the Ice and Climate group, visit https://nbi.ku.dk/english/research/pice/. Further information on the Niels Bohr Institute is found at https://nbi.ku.dk/english/.

Principal supervisor is Professor Christine S. Hvidberg, Niels Bohr Institute, [email protected], direct phone +45 35 32 05 63, co-supervised by Associate Professor Aslak Grinsted, [email protected], direct phone +45 35 32 05 10.

The PhD programme:

Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as either:

Option A: A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.

Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and PhD programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree.

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Option A: Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. Physics. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and PhD programme

If you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree, you might be qualified for the integrated MSc and PhD programme, if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish bachelor´s degree. Here you can find out, if that is relevant for you: General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of the integrated programme
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at one of the faculty’s master programmes in Physics

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as PhD students simultaneously with completing their enrollment in this MSc degree programme.

The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years, and depends on the amount of credits that you have passed on your MSc programme. For further information about the study programme, please see: www.science.ku.dk/phd, “Study Structures”.

Until the MSc degree is obtained, (when exactly two years of the full 3+5 programme remains), the grant will be paid partly in the form of 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: “SU-klip”) plus salary for work (teaching, supervision etc.) totalling a workload of 150 working hours per year.
A PhD grant portion is currently (2024) DKK 6.820 before tax.

When you have obtained the MSc degree, you will transfer to the salary-earning part of the scholarship for a period of two years. At that point, the terms of employment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in both PhD programmes

• Complete and pass the MSc education in accordance with the curriculum of the MSc programme (ONLY when you are attending the integrated MSc and PhD programme)
• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in ice and climate physics
• Good language skills

Application and Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page).
2. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
4. Publication list (if possible).
5. Contact information of two references.

Application deadline:

The deadline for applications is February 1, 2024: 01-02-2024, 23:59 GMT +1.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk